EcoBags
Founded: 1989 by Sharon Rowe
Sector: Eco-friendly reusable bags and sustainable products
Business Status: Success
Location: Ossining, New York.
Website: www.ecobags.com
Status 1991:
''Sharon Rowe began working part time at her Eco-Bags company, which she operates out of her home office in New York City. Eco-Bags markets cotton string bags that shoppers can tote to the supermarket instead of bringing home paper or plastic bags. Rowe wanted to devote plenty of time to her infant
son, but she also wanted to do something to help the environment. The moonlighting approach allowed her to do both. But with orders for more than 70,000 bags (from $1.50 to $4.99 apiece) flowing in during the first six months, Rowe had to expand the business and consider it a full-time enterprise...'' (Bennett, 1991, p.15)[1].
Founders Story:
Founder Sharon Rowe founded Eco-Bags in 1989 having been inspired by the European practice of using reusable bags. Rowe set up a stand at a local Earth Day celebration with a thousand bags, which sold out in several hours. The following week, a local health food grocer ordered 3,000 of the ecological bags
and Eco-Bags was established[2]. At the time of founding the business Rowe was a sales executive, she found a supplier in Germany, trademarked the name ECOBAGS®, and began selling them to natural food stores. In 1992, hit by rising import costs, Rowe found a new supplier in Mumbai who could provide more colours and styles. Three years later, Rowe added canvas bags for customers who wanted a more structured bag to load into their cars. In 1996 the range expanded with the addition of organic cotton based products. The business further developed when the natural-foods chain Fresh Fields asked Rowe to print its company name on the string bags, this lead to the development of offering a custom branding service to organisations and companies[3].
Status 2010:
Eco-Bags now carries a complete line of ECOBAGS® brand bags in natural and certified organic cotton, recycled cotton and hemp/cotton blends. All their canvas totes are available unprinted or custom printed for organizations and companies. The bags have been used as promotional tools and incentives for retailers, manufacturers and many nationally recognized non-profit organizations. Under the ECOWEAVE® brand Eco-Bags produces organic T-shirts, organic cotton towels, loofah scrubbers and other home products. ECOBAGS® brand products are now available in various stores[4].
Today ECOBAGS® clients include supermarkets, corporations and nonprofits, with a range of approximately 100 different products made of string, canvas and recycled materials at prices ranging from $2.50 to $42. In 2007 Eco-Bags reported sales of $2.2 million, a 300% increase over the prior year[5].
Sources:
[1] Bennett, S. J. (1991) Ecopreneuring: The Complete Guide to Small Business Opportunities from the Environmental Revolution. New York: Wiley.
[2] Neelly, R. (2005) Bags big on multi-tasking, Wearables Business, 1st July, p.39.
[3] Carr, C. (2008) String Theory – Small Business – TIME [online].
[4] Ecobags (2010) Company Info [online].
[5] Carr, C. (2008) String Theory – Small Business – TIME [online].
Sector: Eco-friendly reusable bags and sustainable products
Business Status: Success
Location: Ossining, New York.
Website: www.ecobags.com
Status 1991:
''Sharon Rowe began working part time at her Eco-Bags company, which she operates out of her home office in New York City. Eco-Bags markets cotton string bags that shoppers can tote to the supermarket instead of bringing home paper or plastic bags. Rowe wanted to devote plenty of time to her infant
son, but she also wanted to do something to help the environment. The moonlighting approach allowed her to do both. But with orders for more than 70,000 bags (from $1.50 to $4.99 apiece) flowing in during the first six months, Rowe had to expand the business and consider it a full-time enterprise...'' (Bennett, 1991, p.15)[1].
Founders Story:
Founder Sharon Rowe founded Eco-Bags in 1989 having been inspired by the European practice of using reusable bags. Rowe set up a stand at a local Earth Day celebration with a thousand bags, which sold out in several hours. The following week, a local health food grocer ordered 3,000 of the ecological bags
and Eco-Bags was established[2]. At the time of founding the business Rowe was a sales executive, she found a supplier in Germany, trademarked the name ECOBAGS®, and began selling them to natural food stores. In 1992, hit by rising import costs, Rowe found a new supplier in Mumbai who could provide more colours and styles. Three years later, Rowe added canvas bags for customers who wanted a more structured bag to load into their cars. In 1996 the range expanded with the addition of organic cotton based products. The business further developed when the natural-foods chain Fresh Fields asked Rowe to print its company name on the string bags, this lead to the development of offering a custom branding service to organisations and companies[3].
Status 2010:
Eco-Bags now carries a complete line of ECOBAGS® brand bags in natural and certified organic cotton, recycled cotton and hemp/cotton blends. All their canvas totes are available unprinted or custom printed for organizations and companies. The bags have been used as promotional tools and incentives for retailers, manufacturers and many nationally recognized non-profit organizations. Under the ECOWEAVE® brand Eco-Bags produces organic T-shirts, organic cotton towels, loofah scrubbers and other home products. ECOBAGS® brand products are now available in various stores[4].
Today ECOBAGS® clients include supermarkets, corporations and nonprofits, with a range of approximately 100 different products made of string, canvas and recycled materials at prices ranging from $2.50 to $42. In 2007 Eco-Bags reported sales of $2.2 million, a 300% increase over the prior year[5].
Sources:
[1] Bennett, S. J. (1991) Ecopreneuring: The Complete Guide to Small Business Opportunities from the Environmental Revolution. New York: Wiley.
[2] Neelly, R. (2005) Bags big on multi-tasking, Wearables Business, 1st July, p.39.
[3] Carr, C. (2008) String Theory – Small Business – TIME [online].
[4] Ecobags (2010) Company Info [online].
[5] Carr, C. (2008) String Theory – Small Business – TIME [online].